No True Blood, No Problem: There’s a whole lot of Being Human

So we’re about to get a lot of Being Human over the next few months. Between the UK original’s return for its third series, the launch of the American series and the UK web-series spin-off, I’m going to have my fill of vampires, werewolves and ghosts. True Blood, I shall not miss ye.

I miss Mitchell and his skinny jeans

Being Human UK Series Three

When we last saw Mitchell, George and Annie, Annie was trapped on the other side, Nina and George had decided to stick together (and possibly have a few puppies), and Mitchell’s old buddy Herrick had decided not to stay dead (much to my displeasure). Honestly, I would have preferred if Ivan had been reconstituted. I’m sorry, but  Canteen girl Cara really needs to be staked. I’m looking forward to seeing how they will rescue Annie from the other side and I wonder if she will bring over anyone else with her. It would be nice if Nina could be a little less pissy and irritable. The trailers and the poster for series three, doesn’t give me much hope. Who ever gave Nina that Tipper Gore makeover needs to be shot.

Sam Witwer is apparently so naturally pale, he needs no make up

Being Human US Debut

You know, I had my doubts. Sam Witwer was so amazing in his turn as Davis Bloome/Doomsday on Smallville that I couldn’t see him as the “Mitchell” vampire character for the US version. However, I like the casting of Sam Huntington because I think he captures the “George” werewolf’s earnestness. I know very little of Meaghan Rath but she’s a gorgeous Canuck, so I am predisposed to liking her. I am going into this US version with an open mind, even though I am a huge fan of the UK series. What gives me hope is that the producers have indicated that this show will be a nod to the original but not a carbon copy. It can’t be. It also won’t be Twilight, thank goodness. I can’t see Sam Witwer’s Aidan devolving into anything as unfortunate as Edward Cullen.

Matt (ghost???), Adam (vampire) and Christa (werewolf)

Becoming Human Web Series

The main character, vampire Adam, will be featured on an upcoming episode of Being Human (UK) before going off into spin-off-dom on the web series. The series revolves around – wait for it – a trio comprised of a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost. The plot from the BBC Three website:

Following events that unfold in the forthcoming third series of Being Human, vampire Adam (Craig Roberts; Young Dracula) is at college trying to get himself back on the straight and narrow. It’s here he meets the beautiful, cool Christa (Leila Mimmack; Married, Single, Other) – who just happens to be a werewolf. They strike up a friendship with Matt (Josh Brown; Grange Hill), and the three of them become embroiled in a mystery that leads to more than they bargained for…

Becoming Human will launch online at www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman, midway through transmission of series three of Being Human.

 

Important dates:

Series 3 of Being Human (UK) premieres on January 23rd at 9pm (UK time) on BBC Three

The premiere of the Being Human (US) is on January 17th at 9pm (ET) on Syfy in the US and at 10pm (ET) on Space in Canada.

Favorites of 2010 – Television & Video

Television

Boris Kodjoe of Undercovers

Favorite Show I actually watched on Television and not on my computer or on DVD – Glee, Human Target, Fringe

Favorite Show I recorded or downloaded – Venture Bros, Archer, Merlin, Dexter, True Blood, Doctor Who

Favorite Show I bought on DVD and watched over a long weekend until my eyes were red and my butt was numb – True Blood, Spartacus Blood and Sand, The IT Crowd, Doctor Who

Favorite HGTV Show – Property Virgins, Holmes on Homes, House Hunters

Favorite Spike TV Show – MANswers, 1000 Ways to Die, Deadliest Warrior

Favorite New to Me Show – The Big Bang Theory,

Favorite New Show – Pretty Little Liars, Human Target

Show I am ashamed to admit that I’ve ever seen an episode of (I was home sick with the flu and the remote was out of reach so don’t you dare judge me….) – Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Jersey Shore, The Young and the Restless

WTF Show?!!! You used to be awesome but now you’re just a load of frelling dren!! -  Supernatural, How I Met Your Mother

It’s beer o’clock where is/are my _______? – Veronica Mars Movie, Farscape Webisodes, 24 Movie, Serenity Sequel/Prequel, satisfactory resolution to Lost, “Bill Compton is a Douchebag” t-shirt, reason to give a shit about anyone on V.

What?! It’s canceled? Um, I think I need a moment to comfort my ovaries – Undercovers, The Good Guys, Friday Night Lights, Rubicon

It’s about time. So long! Farewell! – Smallville, Entourage, Caprica, Big Love, Stargate Universe

Videos

Favorite Original Viral Video – Strut that ass, Bed Intruder, Drunk guy tries unsuccessfully to put on flip flops

Favorite Take on a Viral Video – Bed Intruder Song, Blah Blah Blah Strut that ass

Favorite Singlarity Song of the Day Video – VV Brown’s Shark in the Water

Spartacus: Blood and Sand is not just violence and porn

A werewolf, ghost and vampire are flatmates in BBC's Being Human

The 2009-2010 TV season has been a mixed bag for me. Some new shows blew chunks from the very beginning, Jay Leno went from being a late night embarrassment to a prime time embarrassment only to go back to being a late night embarrassment, 24 decided to call it a day, Alex O’Loughlin still can’t catch a break despite being drop-dead gorgeous, I cut my losses with Lost and decided to wait for the DVD box set of all the seasons, and Kate Gosselin went from mildly annoying on a little show on TLC to the 50-foot  uber-bitch that just would not get off of my TV screen even after I changed the channel and unplugged the power chord. Still, my heart has been captured by the eleventh Doctor and his companion, a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost turned out to be better housemates than any of the idiots on Big Brother ever, I finally get Olivia Dunham and her penchant for monochromatic outfits and limp hair, Castle took on Firefly and Generation Kill in one episode, South Park took on Facebook, and a gladiator from Capua captured my loins and his name isn’t Spartacus.

The Pacific premieres March 14th on HBO

More than 8 years ago, Band of Brothers premiered on HBO and our lives changed forever. Band of Brothers, a 10-part miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, premiered 2 days before the events of 9/11. The series finished its run amid rising patriotism and renewed respect for those in uniform and their sacrifice. Since then it has become a favorite of the men and women of the armed forces as well as their families.  It was based on the book of the same title written by historian and biographer Stephen Ambrose. It followed the story of E Company (“Easy Company”) of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment assigned to the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army. The series followed Easy company from basic training at Toccoa, Georgia, the American airborne landings in Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of Bastogne and on to the end of the war. It has been regarded as one of the best TV miniseries of all time.

It casts a long and impressive shadow over The Pacific, itself a 10-part miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg, Gary Goetzman and Tom Hanks. This time the focus is on the Pacific Theater of Operations, and is based primarily on two memoirs written by US Marines Eugene Sledge and Robert Lecke. The series will also tell the story of Marine John Basilone and features a large ensemble cast of actors. For most of them this series represents the biggest project of their careers. Expectations are high, especially for us Ladies of Singlarity. I wish Michael Kamen was still alive so he could have written the score for this series. Check out the Band of Brothers Soundtrack – it makes a great stocking stuffer.

Band of Brothers brought us all together. Without it, we probably would never have met. It ushers fond memories for all of us. It has been a while since we sat down and watched the series from end to end, but from time to time, we make reference to scenes and even sprout quotes. Band of Brothers, made us into a band of sisters. So now we turn our eyes to The Pacific, wondering if the magic can be relived.

We hope so.

Farscape – The Complete Series

Claudia Black is a badass. Ben Browder is okay too.

While I am ecstatic that the entire series of Farscape, season for season the best sci-fi series of all time (just ask Kanye West), will be out in a new DVD box set this November, I’m a bit upset. I spent over $400 collecting the four seasons individually, including season 1 which was out of print for so long. Currently, my collection of Farscape takes up two whole shelves in my DVD collection.  This new sleek box set looks like it will take up less than a quarter of that. Awesome, and yet upsetting.

Still, it doesn’t answer the biggest question on most scapers’ minds. It’s beer o’clock, where are my Farscape webisodes? I am hoping that the re-release of the series on DVD is just a way of building interest in the return of the series. So, I’m going to buy the new set and I hope other scapers will too. Huge DVD sales could translate into another series, or maybe a feature film, like Serenity.